1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a socket for an integrated circuit. More particularly, the socket is a test or burn-in socket for connecting an integrated circuit to a tester for final testing or a burn-in board for burn-in.
2. Background Art
Testing of semiconductor chips is an important operation in semiconductor manufacturing. Different types of tests are performed at different stages of a semiconductor chip manufacturing process. For example, initial tests can be performed on a wafer scale when semiconductor chips have been fabricated on a wafer, but have not yet been diced and packaged. These initial tests may help to identify defective chips prior to performing more expensive and time consuming packaging steps. After the initial testing, a wafer is diced and individual semiconductor chips are packaged. More exacting tests and burn-in operations are then performed on a chip scale to evaluate individual semiconductor chips or groups of multiple chips.
One technique for performing testing and burn-in operation is to cast individual chips in sockets. Unfortunately, limitations exists in conventional sockets. Conventional sockets maybe expensive to manufacture and somewhat unreliable. Some conventional sockets have also used pogo pins as contact elements. Such pogo pins are unreliable and non-wiping. Pogo pins also limit the pitch of an interconnect structure in a socket. For example, a pitch of less than 40 mils with pogo pins becomes mechanically difficult and prohibitively expensive.
Therefore, what is needed is a burn-in socket testing device with an easily insertable interconnect structure that is coupled via drop-in, plug-in, or the like connections. The interconnect structure also needs to be manufactured through an inexpensive manufacturing process.